Pore Structure Regulation of Carboxyethylated Microfibrillated Cellulose Films

Carboxyethylation is a recent chemical pretreatment for preparation of microfibrillated cellulose(MFC).The carboxyethylated MFC film prepared by coating method has compact structure and high mechanical properties.In order to expand its application,three approaches including using organic solvents,different drying methods and cationic additives,have been adopted in this paper to enrich and regulate the pore structure of MFC film.The results show that all the approaches can improve the pore structure but decrease the mechanical properties of MFC film.When organic solvents such as ethanol,isopropanol and n-butanol were used to replace the water in MFC suspension or pre-dried MFC film,the pore structure of films were increased.Additionally,the film obtained by freeze-drying or air-drying after freezing in liquid nitrogen or freezer has high porosity but poor strength.The best drying process is to rewet dry MFC film,freeze in liquid nitrogen and then freeze-dry.Moreover,the addition of cationic polyelectrolytes or alkene ketone dimer(AKD)in MFC suspension can also significantly increase the film's porosity.Through the above approaches,the porosity of carboxyethylated MFC film can be regulated between 20% and 90%.

Eco-friendly PVA/Kaolin Clay Coating for Barrier Paper

The resistance of wood-fiber paper to water, grease, and water vapor is usually attained by immersing the base paper in hydrophobic oil, laminating with a plastic or metal film, or the application of a barrier coating. Oil impregnation and the addition of films may make the paper difficult to recycle or persistent in the environment owing to their strong binding force and nondegradability. Environmental concerns have attracted worldwide attention to eco-friendly barrier coatings. In this study, degradable polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) and kaolin clay pigment were used to prepare coatings that were applied to a base paper. By measuring the barrier properties of the coated paper, including the water absorptiveness(Cobb60 value), Hercules sizing degree, oil resistance(Kit rating), and water vapor transmission rate(WVTR), an optimal coating formulation and process were proposed. To examine the barrier mechanism of the PVA/kaolin clay coating, we characterized the coating microstructures using a scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and a mercury porosimeter. The results showed that the Cobb60 value and water vapor transmission rate of the coated paper decreased by 61.4% and 98.6%, respectively, compared with the base paper, for a pre-coating weight of 0.98 g/m^2 and a top-coating weight of about 3.23 g/m^2. Furthermore, the Hercules sizing degree rose by a factor of 337.2, while the oil resistance(Kit rating) increased from 0 to 12. The optimum drying temperature for a wet coating layer was found to be 170℃, and the optimum weight ratio of PVA to kaolin clay in the coating was determined to be 50∶50. It was assumed that the PVA/kaolin clay coating improved the smoothness of the paper considerably and decreased the pore size by filling the pores on the paper surface and forming an even film, thus enhancing the paper barrier performance. The coated paper also exhibited good repulpability.

Preparation of Ultrafine Starch Particle and its Application in Paper Coating

Despite its biodegradability, adequate cohesive strength and comparatively low cost, the use of cooked starch as a paper coating binder is limited due to its high viscosity and serious negative impact on the gloss. Starch-based bio-latex with size in the nanometer or sub-micrometer range has been developed recently to overcome these shortcomings. In this study, ultrafine starch particle(UFSP) was prepared by mechanical milling using a DYNO mill in combination with light chemical pretreatment. Model coating colors containing different dosages of UFSP were applied to base paper and the properties of the coated papers were evaluated. The results showed that the UFSP was disc-shaped with a median particle diameter of 167 nm. Water retention capacity of the coating colors was improved considerably with the addition of UFSP, i.e., the water retention value decreased by nearly 40% when styrene-butadiene latex was replaced by UFSP at a dosage of 3 pph(per hundred parts of pigment). The high shear rate viscosities of the coating colors containing no more than 2 pph of USFP were similar to that of the control coating color at shear strain rate higher than 2000 s^(-1). The properties and performances of the coated papers were comparable to the control coated paper with single synthesized latex binder. The gloss and the print gloss of paper samples with or without USFP were 59.7% and 58.2%, 79.0% and 78.8%, respectively. Surface strength of paper samples with or without USFP were 0.96 and 0.90 m/s, respectively, while the ink absorptivity values were 34% and 33%. This study demonstrates a promising approach to obtain submicrometer sized starch for paper coating.

Effects of MFC-modified GCC as Filler on the Opacity of Pulp Handsheets

Microfibrillated cellulose(MFC)was obtained by mechanical grinding of different pulps.MFC-modified ground calcium carbonate(GCC)was prepared in two different ways,designated MFC-GCC composite filler and MFC-GCC flocs filler.The opacity of pulp handsheets loaded with MFCmodified GCC was measured.The effects of MFC originated from different pulps,pretreatment method,and filler modification on the opacity of handsheets loaded with MFC-modified GCC were discussed.The results show that MFC originated from alkaline peroxide mechanical pulp(APMP)was optimal for improving the opacity of the handsheets and PFI grinding pretreatment for MFC provided a denser structure in the corresponding MFCAPMP-GCC floc filler while enzyme pretreatment was more effective in increasing the opacity of the filled paper.Under the experimental conditions,the opacity of handsheets increased from 81.0%to 82.7%when the unmodified GCC was replaced by an equivalent amount of MFCAPMP-GCC composite filler,while other properties were unchanged.